Detachable watch escapement



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I F. PITT. A

DETAOHABLE WATCH BSGAPEMENT. No. 281,757, Patented July 24, 1883.

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P. PITT DETAOHABLE WATCH ESGAPEMENT.

No. 281,757. Patented July 24.1883.

WITNEES'EEI ||\l\ /ENTEIRI Q, QMW% UNITED STATES PATENT @rrice.

FREDERICK FITT, OF OHAUX DE-FONDS, SVITZERLAND.

DETACHABLE WATCH-ESCAPEMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 281,757, dated July 24, 1883.

Application filed Septembrr 18, 1882.

To all whom it 721a,; concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK Frrr, of (lhaux-de-Fonds, in the canton of N euchatel, Switzerland, watch-maker, have invented eertain new and useful Improvements in Vatches and Time-Pieces; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descripti on of the same.

My invention relates to detachable watch-es: capements; and it consists in a novel construction of the same, whereby the escapement may be applied or removed without difficulty or loss of time, and in which the act of disconnecting the escapement bed or plate from the watclrframe also causes the center-wheel to be locked, and thus prevents the unwind ing of the spring.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a face view of the rear face of the watch-movement with the escapement in position; Fig. 2, a view of the escapement de tached and removed; Fig. 3, a face view of the back face of the watchanovement with the escapement removed; Fig. 4, a face view of the pillar-plate; Fig. 5, an edge or side view of the escapement; and Fig. 6, a perspective view of the locking slide and stop. All of the figures are enlarged to show the construc tion more plainly.

The present invention is designed as an improvement upon that for which Letters Patent were granted to me on the 20th day of July, 1880, and numbered 230,262, the object being to simplify and perfect the construction and to enable any form or pattern of escapement to be used, and of any height or thickness required without unduly increasing the thickness of the watch.

Referring again to the drawings, A represents the watch-movement as a whole; B, the pillar-plate; C, the back plate; D, the escapement as a whole, and E the center wheel of the watch.

The pillar-plate B is formed with an opening, a, atthat point over which the escapement is placed, said opening being of the form shown more clearly in Fig. 3, one end being beveled as indicated. This opening is to receive the bottom plate or bed, I), of the escapement-platform F, said bottom plate orbed extendi ng below the body of the platform (Model.)

F, for the purpose of entering or passing through said recess, to secure and steady the plate in place and to give room for the necessary or desired length of escape and balance wheel spindles or shafts and other parts without unduly increasing the thickness of the watch. The lower plate or bed, I), carries the bearings of the escape and balance wheels, es cape-lever, &c., while a balance-cock, c, and arm or supports d and e are provided to sustain the bearings of the upper ends of said parts, as usual. The bottom plate or bed, I), of the escapement-platform is furnished with a projecting finger or point, f, at one end, which is designed to engage with the pillarplate and to assist in holding the cscapementplatform in place, while the opposite end is beveled to fit the beveled end of opening a, as shown in Fig. 5. The end having the pro jecting nose or point f is first dropped into and through the opening (1/, and then the escape ment-platform is moved a short distance longitudinally, causing the nose or point 1' to engage over the edge of the pillar-plate, as shown in Fig. 4, and just as the limit of movement is reached the beveled end of plate or bed I) falls to the beveled seat formed for it at the end of opening a. The opening a being much smaller than the platform F, the latter rests upon the pillar-plate at each end, and at the side of the opening, and thus gets a firm broad bearing thereon,while being prevented by the close fitting of the bottom plate or bed, I), from shifting around thereon.

For the purpose of locking the escapement platform firmly to the pillar-plate, I provide a slide, G, having a lateral projection, g, to enter a recess, 71, in the side or edge of the escapement shown in Fig. 5, and thereby prevent the platform F from being raised or lifted out from the pillar-plate, upon which the slide G is mounted and held by a screw, 7', and guide-pin j, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The slide G is furnished with a stud or knob, k, by which to move it back and forth, and has on its under or inner face, near its outer end, a pin, Z, which extends through an opening in the pillar-plate, and projects slightly beyond the face of said plate to bear against the end of a spring, H, said endbeing formed with a double incline, an, so that by moving the pin Z to one or the other side of the angle of the double incline the pin Z will be pressed and held in one or the other position. The movement of the pin in the manner stated is occasioned by the movement of slide G in one or the other direction, as already mentioned. lVhen slide G is moved inward, the wing or projection g passes out of the notch 71 leaving the escapement-plattorm to be raised up and drawn olffrom the pillarplate.

in order that the watch may not run down, and that it may not be necessary to unwind the spring before ren'loving the escapement, the slide G is furnished at its tor-ward orinner end with a stoppin, a, which, as the slide is moved inward, enters between the teeth ol'the eenter-wheel E and locks it against rotation, thus permitting the eseapement to be removed without affecting the condition of the spring. \Vhen the eseapement is restored to place, the slide is drawn out to lock it in position, cans ing the pin a to be withdrawn from the teeth of wheel E, the wheels of the watch-train and cseapement being put into mesh in adjusting the escapement-platform to the pillar-plate.

.1. represents a sc1.'ewhaving its head slightly rounded, which head forms a bearing for the point or finger], the screw being turned in or out to cause the escapement-platiorm to be drawn down more or less tightly by the point riding upon the head of the screw. Screws 0 0, near the ends of the eseapemelit-platform, serve to adjust and steady the same, or to prevent its tipping or rocking on the pillarplate.

1' do not claim herein a screw beneath the head of which the point or end of the escape ment is held, as in. my former patent above referred to; but in this case the end of the platform, or the point formed thereon, rides over the head of the screw, and may be drawn off without turning the screw in the slightest degree.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is l. In combination with a pillar-plate hav ing an openingin its face, and with an escape ment-platform having a bottom plate fitting in said opening, a slide adapted to engage with the platform. and to hold it in place, sub stantially as shown and described.

2. In combination with pillar-plate B, and with escapement-platlorm F, seated thereon, slide G, adapted to engage with said platform and lock it to the pillar-plate, substantially as shown and described.

In combination with a watch and with a detachable escapement applied thereto, a slide adapted to lock the escapement-platlorm in place, and provided with astop-pin to engage the teeth of a wheel of the watch, as and for the purpose set forth.

l. The combination, substantially as herein described, of watch or movement A, detachable esca )ementplati'orm F, slide G, provided with pin 1, and spring H, having double incline 111, and bearing against pin 7, substzur tially as and :l'or the purpose set l'orth.

5. In combination with pillanplate .13, having Opening (1, escapement-platlormF, having point or projection], and slide (1, attached to the pillar-plate and adapted to lock the escapementplattorm thereto, substantially as described.

(5. In combination with pillar-plate B, having opening (1., and eseapeinent-platfor1n F, having point or projection screw Ll on the outer face ol'pillar-plate 1%, arranged directly beneath and. in. position to form a bearing for said. point, as shown and described.

7. In combination with a ')illar-plate and a detachable escapement-platlorm, a. slide (1 adapted to lock the platform to the pillarplate, and screws 0 0, passing through the eseapement-platlbrm and arranged to bear upon the pillar-plate, whereby the platform may be made firm and prevented from rocking or tip pin Fl tElml-lltfli FllT.

\Vitnesses:

P. UABEREL, LN. Mnvtne. 

